Michael De Los Santos

BA Public Administration, Class of 2015

"The instructors have been great, both in and out of the virtual classroom."

While my time at SNHU is not quite complete, my story with the university is only just beginning. When I started here, back in the fall of 2012, I was at a crossroads. I was just wrapping up a very interesting time in my life for a number of reasons. The previous year had been one of the best years of my life, but also the worst. My path to SNHU actually started back in the summer of 2005, when I made the decision not to return to the college I had been at for the past three years. Many people felt that was a wrong decision, and in hindsight it may have not been the smartest thing to do, but I have no regrets.

The life lessons I endured since that time have made me a better husband, father, and student. Those are all things I thought about as I sat at this crossroads in 2012. I had some success in my professional career, but was starting to hit a ceiling. Things in general had been good in my life, as I had just closed on my first home. There was also heartbreak, as I had just lost my six-month-old son that May. As I sat there, I knew I needed to do something not only for myself, but also for my family and for my son who had fought until his last breath. I knew I had to finish what I started and get my degree. Without it, what lesson was I teaching my daughters? What did it say about my own character, and what would it mean for my career long term?

It is at this point that my journey led me to SNHU. It was not just an online school, but also had a campus. It was affordable, and not one of these for-profit schools looking to get rich while providing no support and burdening me with debt. My time so far has been great. The instructors have been great, both in and out of the virtual classroom. My fellow students have been great, as well as my advisor. SNHU has me on the path toward being successful because of the example I am setting for my children, my community and even myself — that, we should not quit because victory could be around the corner. My story with SNHU will not end when I graduate in 2015 with a BA in Public Administration, or when I finish my master’s, or when I land that first job post education. Like everything else that has played a role in who I am, my story with SNHU will continue on.